Quickbyte
Jan 22, 2026

Iran Said It Possesses Enough Uranium For 11 Nukes: Report

U.S. negotiations with Iran broke down after Tehran’s negotiators openly stated their intention to enrich uranium to levels suitable for producing nuclear weapons, according to Steve Witkoff, President Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy.

Witkoff recounted that the American delegation was taken aback by this declaration, causing him and Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, to exchange uneasy glances as the Iranian officials clarified their stance.

“The Iranians made it clear from the start that they believe they have an undeniable right to enrich all the uranium they possess,” Witkoff said in an interview with Fox News. “That was how they opened the talks.”

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U.S. negotiators immediately pushed back, with Witkoff stating that Washington believed it had the right to completely shut down Iran’s enrichment activities. Instead of backing down, Iranian officials reinforced their position.

“Jared and I just looked at each other and thought, ‘Is this really happening?’” Witkoff said.

The breakdown became inevitable when Tehran rejected a U.S. proposal that would have frozen enrichment for a decade. Under the plan, the United States offered to supply Iran with nuclear fuel at its expense.

“That was the moment we understood they had no intention of doing anything other than enriching uranium for nuclear weapons,” Witkoff said.

Iranian negotiators acknowledged the size of their nuclear stockpile during the discussions, Witkoff said. Two officials confirmed that they possessed approximately 460 kilograms of uranium enriched to 60 percent.

Witkoff noted that the Iranians acknowledged the potential conversion of this material into as many as 11 nuclear bombs.

“They weren’t hiding it. They were proud,” he said, noting further that Iranian negotiators also boasted about being able to evade international monitoring systems as the country was enlarging its stockpile.

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